Back from Mexico
by starliam
Summary: Set in Ocean's Thirteen, when Turk and Virgil come back to Vegas from Mexico. They will incur in a minor setback as Virgil starts to feel sick.
1. Chapter 1

It was after a while they left Mexico for Las Vegas, that Turk noticed how Virgil seemed quiet. Usually they were always chatting and bantering while driving, but this time his brother just answered with short words to his attempts at conversation. Whatever, thought Turk. Virgil was probably tired. He turned on the radio then, focusing on driving and humming to the sound of the music.  
Not even an hour later, Virgil spoke again. "Would you mind turning off the radio? My head hurts".  
Turk turned his head towards his brother, ready for a snipping remark. But he closed his mouth when he saw Virgil's face: his eyes were closed, and he was very pale. Turk turned off the music. "Are you okay?"  
"Yes, I'm fine", answered Virgil, without opening his eyes.  
"You're very pale".  
"I told you, my head hurts. That's why I'm pale".  
"Do you need me to stop?"  
"No, no, it's fine. Just shut up and let me sleep".  
Normally Turk would have answered and the twins would have started bantering. But he knew how Virgil was cranky when he was sick, so he decided to leave him alone.  
They had just crossed the border to Arizona, when Virgil opened his eyes. "Pull over!"  
"What?"  
"Pull over!"  
Turk stopped the truck just on time: Virgil opened his door and started puking on the side of the road.  
Turk grimaced, disgusted. After a while, Virgil closed the door again, breathing heavily with the effort. "I think I have a fever".  
"That's it," said Turk. "We're stopping now".  
This time, Virgil didn't protest; and Turk started being worried. Now his brother's cheeks were flushed, and he was even more pale and sweaty. Dammit. Turk really hoped they didn't need a hospital. He stopped at the first motel he saw on the side of the road. It didn't seem to be particularly beautiful or big, but it was in a small Arizona town with a pharmacy, and that was all he wanted right now.  
"I'm going to get us a room, wait me here", said Turk to his brother, after having parked the truck. Virgil didn't answer, and kept his eyes closed.  
Turk tried to be as quick as possible, and after a few minutes he came back to the truck. He opened the passenger's door and touched Virgil's leg. "Can you walk?"  
Virgil opened an eye. "I don't know. Maybe. I'm dizzy".  
Turk tightened his lips. "Okay. C'mon, I'll help you". He took Virgil by the arms and helped him getting out the truck. "Careful..."  
Turk had to put Virgil's arm over his shoulder, and almost drag him to their room. He could feel the heat radiating from his brother. Damn, that wasn't good. Virgil needed some medicine and some water, fast.  
Once inside the room, Turke lowered Virgil on the closest bed, and kneeled in front of him to take off his shoes. "Do you need to go to the bathroom? Do you want me to take off your clothes?" he asked.  
"No, no, I just want to lay down".  
Turk covered Virgil with the blanket, and touched his forehead with the back of his hand. It was burning. Virgil didn't move and didn't open his eyes. He definitely needed some aspirin.  
"Virg, I'm going to the pharmacy here to buy something, okay?"  
"Mmm".  
Turk left the motel, trying to be quicker as possible. Once he entered in the local CVS, he went directly at the medicine aisles. He snickered when he saw the pills for menstrual cramps: it would have been fun to bring those to Virgil. Another time, he decided. He bought aspirins, Tylenol, orange juice and a thermometer.  
On the way back to the motel, he quickly dialed Danny's number.  
"Hello", said Ocean.  
"Danny, we're going to be a little late".  
Danny's voice became worried. "Why? Something happened?"  
Turk sighed. "Virgil is sick. He has a fever and he's puking... I think it's the flu or something like that. I had to stop to a motel because he wasn't in shape to travel. I hope we can leave again tomorrow".  
"Where are you now?"  
"Somewhere in Arizona".  
"Okay. Listen, don't worry. Take your time. There is no reason to rush, but let me know how Virgil is doing, alright?"  
"Sure, I'll call you tomorrow".  
"Bye."  
"Bye".  
When Turk entered their room, he found Virgil in a different position. "I puked again", said Virgil, still keeping his eyes closed.  
"Oh, great", answered Turk. "I hope you did that in the bathroom".  
"Yes. Barely. Now my head hurts even more".  
Turk sighed. It was incredible how Virgil could be miserable and vulnerable when he was sick. It had always been like that. Virgil usually was witty and sarcastic and smart (and sometimes also mean to him): but when he was sick he became completely different. It was almost upsetting. If Turk wanted to be mean, he could get revenge for any time his brother had hurt him. But he wasn't mean. He really didn't like to see his brother in pain.  
"Okay, now take an aspirin, while I check your fever".  
"I don't want an aspirin. I want to sleep", whined Virgil.  
Turk sighed again. "Sorry, but you have to. We need to get back to Vegas as soon as possible. Here".  
Turk took out of the bag the aspirins, filled a glass with water and sit down on Virgil's bed. Virgil opened his eyes.  
"I'm such a pain in the ass right now. Sorry".  
Turk snorted. "You're always a pain in the ass. Nothing new".  
Virgil took the aspirin and the water from Turk. He drank everything and closed his eyes again. "No, no, first this," said Turk.  
Virgil opened just an eye, to see his brother presenting him a thermometer. Sighing, Virgil took it and put it under his arm, closing his eyes again. Turk didn't move. He waited for the thermometer to beep watching how his brother's face was pale and sweaty.  
When the thermometer finally beeped, Turk took it gently from his brother arms. Virgil didn't move. "102,2", he read. "That's not good. It really needs to go down".  
Virgil didn't answer. He was soundly asleep.  
Good, thought Turk. He needed a shower and then some dinner. Then he would have gone to sleep, hoping that his brother would feel better the day after.


	2. Chapter 2

Turk woke up at the first lights of dawn. Immediately, he looked over the bed next to him, where his brother was still asleeep. He hadn't woken up during the night, and Turk thought it was a good sign. He got up and got closer. Virgil wasn't so pale anymore, and his cheeks weren't flushed. Turk lightly touched his brother's forehead. It was cool, there was no sign of fever. Good. It was still very early, so he decided he could go back to sleep for a few hours.

He woke up again a few hours later, to find Virgil perfectly awake, looking at him.  
"I'm hungry".  
"Oh, hello," answered Turk."You're not going to puke again, right?"  
"No. I'm really hungry".  
"That's a good sign, I guess."  
Turk got out of bed. "I'll get dressed and then I'll go buy some breakfast".  
After a breakfast (light for Virgil, even if he insisted that he wanted eggs and bacon and not milk and cereal) and a shower, the twins started their trip to Vegas again.  
"Oh, c'mon! Seriously? Country music?"  
"What? I like this song!"  
"Well, I don't. Search something else."  
"Fine. But I'm nice only because you were sick".  
"Oh, yes, about that."  
"What?" asked Turk.  
"Thanks for... for taking care of me. It was really nice of you".  
Suddenly, Turk's expression hardened. "Sure. No problem".  
Virgil frowned. "What?"  
"What, what?"  
"Why are you suddenly angry? I just thanked you".  
"Exactly".  
Virgil snorted and rolled his eyes. "What, it's that time of the month again? I was just being nice!"  
"It seems that you don't know when you're supposed to thank someone and when you're not," explained Turk.  
Virgil frowned again. "And what's that supposed to mean?"  
Turk shook his head. "Nothing".  
"Oh no, now you'll explain it to me. Or else, you have to admit you weren't make any sense at all".  
"Fine. You really think I took care of you because I wanted to be nice? Or maybe I did it because you're my brother, and I don't like it when you're sick?"  
Virgil opened his eyes even more, in an expression of surprise. "Wha...?"  
"If I were the one to be sick, instead of you, you would have done the same for me".  
"Yes, but..."  
"Exactly. So why do you have to thank me as if I was some random person, instead that your own brother?"  
"I really think you're reading too much in what I say, sometimes".  
"Oh, yes. It's always my fault. Like when you didn't thank me at your reharsal dinner".  
"Oh my God, again? See? You're not making any sense! That time I didn't thank you and you were angry because I didn't, this time I did thank you, and you're angry because I did!  
"Yes! Beacuse you think you're really smart, smarter than me. And yes, for many things you are. But you're lacking the intelligence to understand what's important and when".  
"That... really doesn't make any sense at all".  
Turk shook his head again. "That thing at the dinner was different. You thanked literally everyone except me. But the bad thing was... that you thanked everyone for welcoming Sarah into our family. Except me. That wasn't right, because I was actually the first one who met her and made her feel like family. So you should have actually thanked me before everyone else. But the problem was that... It was humiliating. Because I was the only one who got excluded. And everyone probably thought that I wasn't been thanked because I was mean to Sarah, which is not true".  
Virgil seemed to think about it. "I'm sure nobody thought that."  
"Oh, are you sure? Because you can't be sure about it. The fact was... that you thanked everyone for being nice to Sarah, except me. So the logical assumption is that I wasn't being nice to Sarah. Which is totally false".  
Virgil stayed in silence for a minute. "Right. Okay, let's say I understand your point of view. Would you also tell me why you're angry at me now, when I actually thanked for taking care of me?"  
"Because you said that like you were surprised. I mean... you said that 'it was really nice of me'. Seriously? What did you expect? That I left you on the side of the road? That I kept driving even when you seemed on the verge of fainting? No, really, I'm asking you: what did you expect I would have done?"  
Virgil seemed really surprised. And a little bit shocked. "I... nothing. I mean, of course I knew you would have taken care of me. And yes, I would have done the same for you. I just wanted to recognize the fact that... that what you did meant something for me. I didn't want to insult you, not this time".  
Turk sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'm probably exagerating. I'm tired".  
Nobody spoke for a while. Turk kept driving, focused on the road in front of him.  
At some point, Virgil spoke again. "You've been really nice to Sarah, and I never told you how much that was important for me. But it was, and I never thanked you for that. I guess I didn't really expect anything different, I knew you would have been nice to her. So I guess I took it for granted, and that's why I didn't feel the need to thank you. Because really, I could have had a doubt about everyone at that table, but not about you. I just knew that I could count on you. But I'm sorry if I humiliated you, that really wasn't my intention".  
Turk didn't speak for minute. "Thanks. I appreciate that".  
Another long silence. Then, Virgil spoke again: "Now, can you please search another radio station, please?"  
"Why, what's wrong with this one?"  
"It's stupid!"  
"No, it's not!"


End file.
